Infusion Services Specialist

What is infusion therapy?

Infusion therapy involves administering medication directly into your veins, often in situations where a condition is too serious for oral medication to be effective. If your condition affects your gastrointestinal system so you have trouble keeping down oral medications or your body cannot absorb medications taken orally, infusion therapy may be the best course of action. Also, when your condition requires you to take a complex regimen of medications, infusion therapy may be easier to manage than taking all of your medications orally.

What conditions can infusion therapy treat?

Infusion therapy is effective for treating several conditions, including:

• Infections that do not respond to oral antibiotics
• Cancer-related pain
• Diseases affecting the gastrointestinal tract
• Multiple sclerosis
• Crohn's disease
• Ulcerative colitis
• Immune deficiencies
• Hemophilia
• Rheumatoid arthritis
  
  

In addition to delivering medication to manage chronic conditions and treat infections, infusion therapy is an efficient and effective way to combat severe dehydration through highly concentrated volumes of electrolytes and vitamins. Severe dehydration is a common complication when illnesses cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Which infusion services are available?

New Haven Medical Services offers a full range of infusion therapies including:

• Anti-infectives, which can treat infections caused by viruses, bacteria, or fungi
• Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIg), to strengthen your immune system
• IV steroids, to treat symptoms of multiple sclerosis
• Remicade®, to treat inflammation resulting from rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis
• Biologics, to slow the progression of arthritis
• Maintenance and hydration fluids, to combat severe dehydration
  
  

In addition to providing these in-office therapies, if you have a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) line or IV port, the team at the practice will help you maintain them to prevent infection and make sure you receive the effective dose of medication you need.

How should I prepare for an infusion therapy appointment?

The practice’s dedication to making infusion services as comfortable as possible for you includes providing blankets and pillows, though you should feel free to bring anything from home that might help you feel more comfortable, such as an additional pillow. Wearing loose, comfy-fitting clothing will make for a more pleasant experience and help practice nurses to check your vital signs as necessary.

Leading up to your appointment, get a good night’s sleep, eat a good breakfast and/or lunch, and drink enough water to stay hydrated. Keep in mind that your therapy may last for several hours, so bring something to read or listen to (with headphones) in order to make the time enjoyable.

To book infusion services at New Haven Medical Services, call or click today.